Ice-making apparatus



April 3, 192s. 1,664,705 A J. B. ROCHELLE ICE MAKING APPARATUS V FledNOv. 5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l y n i @Uhu ne 114.

April 3, 1928.

J. B. ROCHELLE ICE MAKING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 5, 1924 2 mus-snm 2 nmzntoz H .fosophlliodwllc gwn Patented Apr, 3, 192g,

UNITED STATES JOSEPH BERTIN ROCHELLE, OF HOHEN SGLMS, LOUISIANA.

ICE-MAKING APPARATUS'.

Application med November 5, 1924.l seriai No. 747,535.

This invention relates to apparatus for use in the manufacture of ice, one of the objects being to provide means whereby a better grade of ice can be produced at a lower cost and more rapidly than heretofore by providing a means for freezing the blocks not only inwardly from their outer portions but also outwardly from the centers of the cans.

In the accompanying drawings the pre ferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Y Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the brine tank and some of the cans therein.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section through a portion of the tank on line 2--2 Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus, a portion of the top being removed and the stacks being shown in section.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a brine tank of the usual or any preferred construction provided with suitably disposed cleats or racks 2 for supporting the cans 3. These cans are spaced apart as ordinarily but differ from ordinary cans in that each of them is pro- 30 vided with a central longitudinal tube 4 extending from top to bottom of the can and open at both ends. The brine tank is provided with the usual top 5 having openings 6 above the respective cans, these openings being closed normally by lids 7 so that access may be had readily to the cans. An ammonia coil 8 is mounted in the brine tank and is extended between the rows of cans, the ends of this coil being -connected to a pump 9 which can be driven by any suitable mechanism so as to maintain a circulation of ammonia within' the coil.

Located above the tank between the rows of covers 7 are suction pipes 10 all of which communicate with a pipe 11 extending to the inlet of a brine pump 12. This pumpmay be driven by any suitable mechanism and has an outlet pipe 13 discharging downwardly into the brine tank.

Each of the pipes has branch pipes 14 extending in opposite directions therefrom and downwardly through the adjacent covers 7 and thence into the upper portions of the tubes 4. If desired each of these branch pipes can be provided with a quick detachable coupling so that when it is desiredto remove one of the covers 7 the pipe 14extending therethrough can be quickly disconnected. .Furthermore a valve 15 can be provided for each branch pipe, thereby affording means for cutting oli' the brine when pipe 14 is removed.

For the purpose of carrying olf the vapor' that may form in the brine tank 1 above the ice cans, an outlet stack 16 is extended upwardly from the top of the tank, this stack 'having a downwardly flared lower end 17 opening into the tank. Another Astack 18 is mounted adjacent to the tank or can be located wherever else desired and this stack has a flared air inlet hood 19 rotatably mounted thereon and normally extended toward the wind because of the use of a weather vane 20. The lower end of stack 18 has a pipe 21 extending therefrom and terminating in an upwardly directed nozzle 22 located in the lower portion of stack 16. Thus it will be seen that air currents will set up a circulation downwardly through stack 18 to pipe 21 and nozzle 22 with the result that an upward draft will be established in stack 16 sufficient to withdraw from the tank 1 any vapor that may have been generated therein. f

v In using the apparatus described the tank 1 is provided with brine as usual and this` brine will seek its level within the tubes 4 and around the lower portions of the pipes 14. The pumps are set in motion, pump 9 establishing a circulation of ammonia or other agent used in the coil 8 while pump 12 will create a suction through pipes 14 from the tubes 4. Thus brine will be sucked into pipes 14 and be displaced by brine entering the lower portions of the tubes 4'. Thus the water contained in the cans will be frozen outwardly from the centers of the cans as well as inwardly from the walls thereof. Consequently the resultant blocks of ice will be harder than those ordinarily produced, the freezing operation will be quicker and therefore cheaper, and the air holes or cells such as usually found at the centers of ythe cakes of ice will be greatly reduced in cross sectional area. The pipes 8 and 11 are shown broken away at 50 in Figure 3, thereby to indicate that brine coolers, ammonia condensers,` or heat outlets of any desired kind, forming no part of the present machine, and well understood by those skilled in the art, may be introduced in order that the well-understood operation of an ice ma ly into the upper end of each tube and spaced about its entire periphery from the inner surface of the tube, the suction pipe termi nating at a point closely adjacent to the top ot' the tube, and means for supporting the pipesdetaeliably, independently of,'and at a point above the tubes.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, have hereto aiiixed my signature.

JOSEPH BERTIN ROCHELLE. 

